Obama Throws Mini Tantrum, Huffs Off After Reporter Asks Him a Question About Syria

Yesterday at the White House, a female reporter asked President Obama a question about the war in Syria. She asked the question just before Obama announced plans to keep 9800 troops in Afghanistan and as the President was wrapped up a White House science fair.

Instead of calmly deflecting her question, Obama scolded her and then abruptly huffed off. Charlie Spiering has the details:

After Obama finished talking to individual students and posing for pictures with the press, White House correspondent for Real Clear Politics Alexis Simendinger asked him a question about breaking news on the White House's approach to Syria's civil war as he prepared to exit the room.

“I’m sorry, we’re doing a science fair - c’mon. C’mon.” Obama said irritably as he turned and walked out of the room.

President Obama, as part of an address at the U.S. Military Academy outlining a broad shift in U.S. foreign policy, is expected to indicate Wednesday that he will expand assistance to Syrian rebels.

Administration officials told The Associated Press that Obama and his team are weighing sending a limited number of U.S. troops to Jordan as part of a mission to train and equip certain moderate members of the Free Syrian Army. The president is expected to reference the Syria plans, without making any specific announcement, in his address at West Point in New York.

The address is part of an overall effort to recast U.S. foreign policy, as an endeavor aimed at building international consensus and avoiding unilateral overreach. The speech comes one day after Obama announced his plan for gradually drawing down the U.S. force in Afghanistan after the war formally ends later this year.